A STONE hut and caravan used by a bee keeper can be kept on a wooded Greenbelt site.

Planning officers have granted a lawful development certificate to Mick Greenwood that will allow him to keep the structures on land at Greenwood Wood, between Ilkley and Addingham, and replace the caravan with a newer model.

An application to Bradford Council says the caravan has been there for over 15 years - dating back to when the previous owner ran a bee keeping business there, while the hut has been there 90 years.

The application says the bee-keeping business is now being re-introduced to the site by the new owner, but a lawful development certificate is needed to keep the structures on site.

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Such a certificate is granted when Council officers are confident structures have been on site such as this for a considerable length of time without causing any issues.

Planning officers said there was no evidence of any planning permissions for the site, but that the features had been there for a "significant length of time" and could be retained.

On the stone hut they said: "As a single skin building, lacking any utilities, it is not suitable for permanent occupation, but the applicant's description of it as a shelter and store that has supported the use of the land for bee keeping and coppicing seems credible.

"The appearance of the shelter strongly suggests a structure that has existed for a long time.

"On the balance of probability, the evidence is sufficient to justify the grant of a certificate for the development."